“There is no more important issue in our community than the education of our students,” said Assemblymember Nily Rozic. “The new policy reflects the children and parents in District 26 and will allow families to focus on getting their children off to a strong start in middle school.”

Parents were outraged when they learned students would no longer be automatically accepted into their local middle school G&T programs.

Fifth grade students would have to submit applications and seek admission to middle school G&T programs based on their fourth grade New York State ELA and math scores, the Department of Education (DOE) previously said.

More than 750 people signed an online petition, protesting the abrupt change.

“The Gifted and Talented programs in our schools are vitally important to the education of our students,” said Congressmember Grace Meng. “After listening closely to the needs of parents, the community, and elected officials, I applaud the Department of Education for its decision to add more G&T seats in District 26 as well as allow current students through fifth grade to remain in the program.”

According to Councilmember Mark Weprin, the DOE will also create more middle school G&T programs for high-performing general education students.

“With the opening of additional classes for incoming students who qualify for the program, the agreement is good news for parents across the district,” he said.

“Some of the essays that come in are really moving,” said Mary Vaccaro, the district’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) representative. “And in the elementary grades, we’ve seen some truly gifted people. We’ve seen some really amazing things.”

This is the eighth year of the contest, headed by the UFT and the (CSA). It is judged by a panel of 30 district parents, teachers and principals.

In the last two years, 1,450 students applied and $15,500 in scholarships were given away, Vaccaro said.

“When this started, we felt we really wanted to be involved in the community,” she said. “We thought it would be a good idea to honor those students who are really trying hard.”

Applications and rules can be found at http://www.uft.org/news/district-26-scholarship-application-available.

Those interested can also call 718-275-4400 for more information.

Checks will be distributed May 22 to winners, during the district’s annual scholarship dinner dance.

It could be final bell for 217 city schools whose progress reports showed dismal grades.

The progress reports include “A” through “F” grades of 1,193 elementary and middle schools. The schools who scored a “D” or an “F,” or no higher than a “C” for three years, could be on the chopping block, with this year’s citywide number up roughly 120 from last year, as reported by the Daily News.

The Daily News also reported that DOE officials said they would consider closing a fraction of the schools, but did not say which those would be.

Despite the drop in marks, Queens emerged as the highest performing borough, with District 26 coming out as the highest performing district.

According to a DOE statement, all grades are based on measurements of student progress, performance, attendance and feedback from students, teachers and parents about their schools. This year, the standards have expanded and coursework has become more demanding so as to build a more solid foundation for students who continue to higher education.

“This year, our students are engaging in more challenging coursework,” said Chief Academic Officer Shael Polakow-Suransky.

Elementary and middle school curriculum now has higher standards, including good performance in critical thinking, defending arguments and executing experiments. Middle school progress reports in particular now measure the percentage of students with a passing grade in core courses. These measures have been implemented in order to create greater accountability for how well city schools are preparing students for future success.

“Our elementary and middle schools build on the foundation of early learning to set our students on a path for college and career readiness,” said DOE Chancellor Dennis Walcott.

According to progress reports released by the Department of Education (DOE), the Alley Pond School in Bayside received another “A” this year, making it the number one school in the leading district in Queens.

District 26 — which P.S. 46 falls under — was the highest academically performing district in the borough, according to the report. Serving the northeast area, the district covers Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Fresh Meadows, Douglaston, Little Neck, Glen Oaks, Floral Park, Bellerose, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Hillcrest and parts of both Hollis Hills and Holliswood.

The annual progress reports award public schools letter grades from “A” to “F” based on student progress and performance, attendance and school environment. They also take into account academic progress made with students with disabilities and, new this year, the progress of black and Latino male students.

“I’m really happy. We’re very proud of all the hard work by the administration, the teachers, school staff, parents and students. It’s a very good feeling,” said Principal Marsha Goldberg.

The straight-A school scored an overall total of 83.7 percent, placing it in the top 98th percentile in the city. Not only is the school a top contender in the borough, it ranked 16th citywide out of 1,148 elementary and middle schools.

“It just validates that we’re on the right track. We’re doing what we think is right, and it appears to be working,” said Goldberg, who celebrates her 10th anniversary as principal this year.

The school has maintained its good standing and a straight-A rating since the grading system began in 2007.

But what really sets the school apart from others is its strength and background in special education. Goldberg previously served as the District 26 supervisor for special education.

P.S. 46 was one of the first schools in the district to have “inclusion” classes, and it currently accommodates a substantial special education population. In those classes, children receiving special education services are integrated into regular classes with two teachers and two aides working together.

In addition to a gymnasium, library and auditorium with a wheel-chair accessible stage, the school has an entire corridor dedicated to support services for those with special needs — including an elevator and a physical therapy room filled with professional-grade equipment.

Overall, Goldberg said the school’s success lies in working hard and working together.

“It really comes from having an open door policy and working side by side with the school community,” she said. “We’re really supportive of each other.”

According to a progress report by the Department of Education (DOE), public schools in Queens were ranked the best in the city.

Queens had the highest percentage of schools in New York that received an “A” in the 2011 progress reports released by the DOE. The best performing school district in the city was also in Queens, the report found.

The annual progress reports award public schools letter grades from “A” to “F” based on student progress and performance, attendance and school environment. They also take into account academic progress made with students with disabilities and, new this year, the progress of black and Latino male students.

Out of the 253 schools in Queens serving grades K-8, 34 percent got an “A.” That is higher than all the other boroughs and closest to Manhattan, which had 30 percent of their K-8 schools get an “A.” District 26, which serves northeast Queens, was the best performing district academically, according to the report.

Still, not all schools in Queens were winners.

P.S. 215 in Far Rockaway, P.S. 80 in Jamaica and P.S. 182, also in Jamaica, were among the 13 schools in the borough that received grades of “C”s, “D”s, or “F”s.

For the schools that did fare well however, there was a lot to celebrate.

Phyllis Leinwand is the principal at P.S. 66 in Richmond Hill, one of the highest performing public schools in Queens, according to the report. Leinwand attributes the school’s success to their connections with parents, individualized instruction and working with students in groups.

“Small is the key,” said Leinwand, who has led the school for 11 years and was happy with the good news. “I am very proud of the results. They reflect the hard work of teachers, parents, children and the school community.”

The school grades only include elementary and middle public schools. Public high schools get their separate progress reports at the end of October, according to a spokesman for the DOE.